Bucknell University
8-6
Loyola (Md.)
9-3
Loyola Ends Bucknell Men's Basketball's 18-Game Home Win Streak, 72-67
12/28/2011 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 28, 2011
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell junior Mike Muscala scored a game-high 24 points and went over the 1,000-point mark for his career, but Loyola (Md.) spoiled his milestone night and ended Bucknell's 18-game home winning streak with a 72-67 decision Wednesday night at Sojka Pavilion. Bryan Cohen and Cameron Ayers added 11 points each for the Bison, who fell to 8-6 on the year.
Now 9-3 overall and 6-3 on the road, the Greyhounds received 18 points and eight rebounds from Erik Etherly, while Dylon Cormier added 14 points, including the go-ahead 3-point play with 3:36 remaining and two clinching free throws with eight seconds left. Bucknell led 64-61 with four minutes to play, but Loyola ended the game on an 11-3 run.
Muscala added eight rebounds to his 24 points, and he became the 33rd player in program history to eclipse the 1,000-point mark. Muscala is also the 17th Bison to go over 1,000 points and 500 rebounds. His 1,000th point came on a free throw with 6:53 remaining that capped a 6-0 run and put Bucknell in front 57-56.
One minute later Muscala drained a baseline jumper to break a 58-all tie, and after two Justin Drummond free throws for Loyola, Muscala passed to Steven Kaspar for a fastbreak layup to put the Bison up 62-60. Bucknell's lead was 64-61 after a Kaspar free throw with 4:10 to play, but then the Bison went cold at an inopportune time.
Drummond scored inside to pull the Greyhounds within one, and then Ayers came up short on a jumper, leading to a transition layup the other way for Cormier. He was fouled on the play, and the ensuing free throw gave Loyola a 66-64 lead.
Bucknell went inside to Muscala, but his leaner near the basket rimmed out, and Loyola center Shane Walker followed with a big 3-pointer for a 69-64 lead with 2:48 to play.
Cohen, who broke out of a shooting slump with a 5-for-8 night, canned a trey of his own from the top of the key to pull the Bison within two at 69-67, and then Bucknell got a stop on a shot-clock violation with 39 seconds left. After a timeout, the Bison could not get the ball inside, and Ayers' contested 3-pointer was off the mark. Cormier was fouled on the rebound, and he made both free throws with eight ticks left to put the Greyhounds up four and seal the victory.
Loyola shot 59.3 percent from the floor in the first half en route to a 34-30 halftime lead. Neither team led by more than five points all night in a physical, tightly contested contest.
Bucknell shot 46.0 percent on the night and went 4-for-8 from 3-point range and 17-for-24 from the foul line. The Bison had been dominant on the glass for most of the season, but they had the tables turned on them by Loyola. The Greyhounds outrebounded Bucknell 16-7 in the first half and 36-25 overall.
Loyola finished at 52.9 percent from the floor. Bucknell did not allow a team to shoot 50 percent in any of its first 11 games of the season, but now three straight opponents have reached that plateau.
Bucknell's 18-game home winning streak was the 11th-longest in the nation, and was just six shy of the program record. The Bison's last home loss came a day shy of 13 months ago, a 77-73 setback against Wagner on Nov. 29, 2010.
The Bison will look to start a new streak when they host Cornell on Saturday at 2 p.m.
